Am I losing my hair?

[optimusyork]

Hello. I am a 20 year old male from England. The past week or so, I have been concerned with hair loss. I visited my local doctor who said that my hair was good, and she saw no loss. Still, I thought it would be best to visit a forum that deals with this kind of problem. I have noticed from pictures of when I was about 17 that my hair line has not changed since then. Currently, it's in a slight 'V' shape. As I said, as far as I can tell, it is the same as when I was 17, so I'm assuming my hairline has taken the adult position. Is 20 the right age to have an adult hairline, if that's what I have? I measured the higher points of my hairline to my highest wrinkle (whilst lifting up my eyebrows to make the wrinkle more prominent) and the distance was just under an inch. I then measured the widows peak to my forehead wrinkle, and it was at half an inch. Is this an adult hairline? I have also checked for miniaturised hairs, but I am unable to tell if I have any. Towards the widows peak there are a couple of hairs just below the widows peak that are shorter, but they are the same thickness as the rest of my hair. I am unsure if there are other shorter and finer hairs, because my hair is blond. Would I notice miniaturising hairs a lot more so if I had any?

Regarding my crown, if I use a mirror to check it under normal lighting conditions, I see no problem. If I use a web-camera I can see some scalp just in front of my crown. If I look under vibrant light with a mirror, then I see the same thing as I do in the webcam. Which one is the most accurate?

Finally, the texture of my hair is quite dry, almost like straw. I rarely comb my hair, as I like to wear some kind of product to 'mess' it up. When I'm not wearing product and I ruffle my hair about, I can see 3 or 4 hairs falling down in front of me. Is this normal?

As for pictures of my hairline, I don't like posting pictures of myself online, so I have traced out what the shape of what my hair line is.





Excuse the crudely drawn images. I feel that they give a good interpretation of my hairline shape.

[Tracy C]

Is 20 the right age to have an adult hairline.

The normal mature male hair line can develop at any age after puberty starts.

When I'm not wearing product and I ruffle my hair about, I can see 3 or 4 hairs falling down in front of me. Is this normal?

It is normal for human beings to shed up to 100 hairs per day. Some days you could shed more, other days you could shed less. Shedding is a normal part of the hair cycle. It is when those hairs get progressively smaller, that's when you've got a problem.

Counting hairs will drive you crazy. Don't do that. Don't ruffle your hair about either. That is just plain mistreating your hair. Be kind to your hair and treat it well. If your hair is so dry, you should be using a good quality moisturizing conditioner almost daily.

If you are not satisfied with what the doctor told you. You need to see a doctor who specializes in treating hair loss. I highly recommend you chose a doctor who is an IAHRS member. Here is a list of them.

http://www.iahrs.org/member/

[optimusyork]

Thank you for your reply. So, I am right in thinking the shape of my hairline IS an adult, or mature hairline?

When I went to my local Doctor, he told me that the density on the top of my hair is the same as it is all over, however I've noticed that due to my hair texture, my hair tends to stand up, and not lie completely flat against my head. Could this be giving me a false reading when I looked at it under a light?

Would you recommend any conditioners? Preferably to help weigh my hair down. I more or less need to wear product everyday since the texture of my hair makes it go similar to that of a brush/straw. It won't lie flat against my head, so I wear product. This means I have to wash my hair either everyday or every two days. This is probably causing my hair to dry out more so.

[Tracy C]

Would you recommend any conditioners?

I do not know what is available in the UK. You can use whatever brand you like. You may need to experiment to find what you like. Personally, I like Aveeno products and use their "Nourish + Condition" Shampoo, Conditioner and leave-in treatment. If those products are available in the UK, give them a try. You might like them. If you don't like those, Aveeno has other products you could try as well. Or try a whole other brand altogether. The key thing is to use products that are gentile on your hair.

When I went to my local Doctor, he told me that the density on the top of my hair is the same as it is all over...

If that is the case, then you probably do not have a problem. Just keep a casual eye on it over the years - and take good care of your hair.

[optimusyork]

Okay thanks, I'll have a look at what similar conditioners there are over here then.

Yeah, I will look at my hair every so often. It just bothers me slightly when under harsh lights I can see some scalp. Also, due to the way my hair is cut, the hair is longer towards the top and around the crown, so when I feel my hair, towards the front where it's shorter it feels thicker than near the top where it's longer, and that bothers me.

Would that make sense that longer hair feels thinner than shorter hair? As I said, my local doctor has told me the density is the same on top as it is all over, but my hair is quite flyaway naturally so I get a lot of volume on my hair i.e. it doesn't lay flat to my head, which could be giving me an illusion instead of what my hair is actually like.